Story Stack

Story Stack is where stories first appear on the site. These stories have made our first cut, but haven't necessarily earned the "Smartly Selected" designation for inclusion as one of Pat's Picks.

  1. Velomobile Turns Heads During Commute

    Friday, 30 May 2014 8:14 AM | by Pat's Picks

    It looks like a yellow submarine, but Greg Cantori’s preferred mode of transportation is actually a velomobile, a pedal-powered vehicle similar to a bicycle. The Baltimore Sun says Cantori pedals the entire 24 miles to his work each day. The aerodynamic shape of the velomobile makes it much faster than a bicycle. He was clocked at 50 miles per hour by one of the police officers who has pulled him over in recent months to ask, “what is that thing?” VIDEO

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  2. Sting Operations Face New Scrutiny

    Friday, 30 May 2014 8:02 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Sting operations widely used by authorities are coming under new scrutiny after two federal judges ruled them unconstitutional. The operations, used by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, offer big paydays to suspects by encouraging them to rob an imaginary drug stash house. USA Today says one judge threw out the charges against three suspects even after they had pleaded guilty. Judges are said to be growing frustrated over a lack of information on how these people are being targeted in the first place.

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  3. Harvard Now the Stanford of the East

    Friday, 30 May 2014 7:17 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Harvard used to be the school against which all others were measured. Now Stanford has taken that title, riding a wave of interest in technology. The New York Times says Stanford is now America’s “it” school, taking top honors in categories once dominated by Harvard.

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  4. $2 Billion a Ridiculous Price for the Clippers

    Friday, 30 May 2014 7:02 AM | by Pat's Picks

    With word coming that former Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer has agreed to buy the Los Angeles Clippers for $2 billion, USA Today’s Nancy Armour says Ballmer is overpaying for the team. The current record for an NBA franchise was set just a few weeks ago, when the Milwaukee Bucks were sold for $550 million. Armour says the Clippers’ economics don’t justify that price - especially since as tenants at the Staples Center, they don’t get any non-basketball revenue.

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  5. Grieving Fathers No Longer Inspiring Gun Control Change

    Friday, 30 May 2014 6:42 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Richard Martinez has become the new face of the gun control movement in the wake of his son’s death at the hands of a gunman in Isla Vista, California. Arizona Republic reporter Megan Finnerty says he won’t do any good. She says the anguish of grieving fathers is no longer enough to move the needle on the gun control debate. Instead, advocates are turning their focus to economic pressure tactics and on changing gun laws at the local level.

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  6. Scout Willis Launches Instagram Nipple Protest

    Thursday, 29 May 2014 8:43 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Scout Willis has launched an offensive against Instagram’s nudity policy. The Daily News says the 22-year-old daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore tweeted topless photos of herself strolling around Manhattan. She captioned one “What @Instagram won’t let you see #FreeTheNipple.” Her protest came after Instagram removed one of her photos for violating its community guidelines.

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  7. What Happens to NFL Big Men After Football?

    Thursday, 29 May 2014 8:26 AM | by Pat's Picks

    The Washington Post has an interesting piece on what happens to NFL lineman once they’re out of football, specifically about how they manage their weight. Many struggle because they no longer have coaches and nutritionists keeping tabs on them, and eating as they did when they were playing can be lead to huge weight gains.

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  8. Health Centers for Reluctant Patients: Men

    Thursday, 29 May 2014 8:05 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Two New York hospitals have opened clinics devoted specifically to men - in the hopes of encouraging more men to seek health services. The New York Times says studies show most men “avoid doctors for anything short of a bullet wound.” The clinics offer one-stop shopping for everything from heart monitoring to hair removal.

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  9. Remembering Maya Angelou

    Thursday, 29 May 2014 7:18 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Poet and professor of African-American studies at Yale, Elizabeth Alexander, pens a tribute to Maya Angelou for the New York Times. She says Angelou believed singing one’s song should be as natural as breathing. Alexander says Angelou’s mastery of words was apparent not only in her poetry, but in her everyday prose.

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  10. Summer Reading List 2014

    Thursday, 29 May 2014 6:55 AM | by Pat's Picks

    USA Today is out with a list of 30 hot books arriving this summer. From works of fiction by Stephen King to biographies of Sally Ride and Michael Jackson, there’s something for everyone.

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  11. Flight Insurance Can Take the Sting Out of Mishaps

    Thursday, 29 May 2014 6:39 AM | by Pat's Picks

    The next time your flight is delayed or you miss a connection, you might be able to cash in. The Wall Street Journal says Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway Inc. has launched a new travel insurance product called AirCare. It costs $25 and pays out $50 if your flight is two hours late, $500 if your baggage is lost, $500 for a missed connection and $1000 for a two-hour tarmac delay.

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  12. The Fittest Cities in America

    Wednesday, 28 May 2014 8:36 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Which city is the fittest? According to USA Today, it’s Washington D.C.. The nation’s capital beat out Minneapolis/St. Paul for the title. Portland, Denver and San Francisco round out the top five. The American College of Sports Medicine ranked metro areas in 31 indicators covering four categories: chronic health problems, health behaviors, physical or built environments, and recreational facilities.

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  13. $2B to Eliminate Detroit’s Blight

    Wednesday, 28 May 2014 8:33 AM | by Pat's Picks

    A task force says it would take 5 years and $2 billion to clean up Detroit’s 40,000+ blighted properties. The Detroit Free Press says about $850 million would go just toward clearing abandoned houses and retail strips, with the rest dedicated to razing large factories and commercial spaces. Officials say removing blight is the obvious first step to revitalizing Detroit.

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  14. Coconut: Superfood or Superfad?

    Wednesday, 28 May 2014 7:59 AM | by Pat's Picks

    The Minneapolis Star Tribune examines the superfood credentials of coconut, which is hailed by some as a miracle food good for everything from bad breath to Alzheimer’s. Experts say there’s little proof to claims coconut boosts immunity or helps combat Alzheimer’s, but it could be useful for other applications.

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  15. Italy to Include Drugs & Sex in GDP Calculations

    Wednesday, 28 May 2014 7:01 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Like it or not, sex and drugs are big business. Now in Italy, all that illegal activity will be counted as part of the country’s gross domestic product. USA Today says everything from prostitution to arms trafficking will be added to Italy’s GDP, which is the measurement of the overall economy. Economists predict it could add 1.3 percentage points to the GDP.

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  16. Record-Setting Beer Mile Draws Controversy

    Wednesday, 28 May 2014 6:48 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Last month, James “The Beast” Nielsen ran a sub 5:00 “beer mile” breaking the record for the underground phenomenon where competitors chug a beer before each lap of a one-mile run. His 4:57 run has been viewed on YouTube more than a million times. But the Wall Street Journal says critics are questioning whether he had any unfair advantages. The matter should be settled during the first-ever Beer Mile World Championships this year. VIDEO

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  17. Google’s Next Self-Driving Car Has No Steering Wheel or Brakes

    Wednesday, 28 May 2014 6:34 AM | by Pat's Picks

    As Google and others have worked on driverless cars, the prototypes have always been designed to allow a driver to take over in case of an emergency. But the New York Times says Google engineers realized someone in a driverless car would be too distracted to take the wheel if necessary. Now Google is producing 100 self-driving cars with no steering wheel, and no brakes, only a panic button for emergency stops.

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  18. The Curse of the Lottery Winner Being Debunked

    Tuesday, 27 May 2014 8:51 AM | by Pat's Picks

    A popular theory that winning the lottery won’t make you any happier is being debunked. The New York Times says new research indicates that most lottery winners do end up significantly happier than their non-winning counterparts. Experts say remaining anonymous is the best way to stay happy after a big lottery win - as jackpots tend to bring out all kinds of people you don’t want to be associated with.

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  19. Young Inventor’s Soccer Ball Could Light Up Third World

    Tuesday, 27 May 2014 8:33 AM | by Pat's Picks

    USA Today profiles Jessica Matthews, a 26-year-old entrepreneur and inventor who is focused on creating toys that can produce electricity in Third World countries. Her soccer ball, called the Soccket, can produce 3 hours of lamp light after just 30 minutes of soccer playing. And her jump rope, the Pulse, gives six hours of light after 15 minutes of use.

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  20. Explaining the Science of X-Men

    Tuesday, 27 May 2014 8:14 AM | by Pat's Picks

    There are mutants among us. In fact, you’re one of them. The Oklahoman looks into the science behind genetic mutations, in light of the new X-Men movie. Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation scientist Chris Sansam, Ph.D, explains that mutations are any permanent changes in your DNA. He says the average person has 74 genetic mutations in their DNA.

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  21. Minivans Are Back (Just Don’t Call Them Minivans)

    Tuesday, 27 May 2014 8:02 AM | by Pat's Picks

    The Detroit News says after a decade-long decline in sales, the minivan is poised for a comeback. Just don’t call it a minivan. Today’s entries into the market are more diverse than the minivans of a few years ago. And automakers are using different names for them, including “people movers,” “multi-purpose vehicles” and “family haulers.”

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  22. Smart Toilets Arrive From Japan

    Tuesday, 27 May 2014 7:21 AM | by Pat's Picks

    The newest addition to your bathroom might be a Japanese import. The Wall Street Journal says smart toilets, which are found in three-quarters of Japanese homes, are coming to the U.S.. Toilets with integrated bidets, bluetooth connectivity and automatic flushing will be introduced into the lineup of American Standard brands, which was acquired by Japanese company Lixil last year.

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  23. Telescope Implanted in Eye Improves Vision

    Tuesday, 27 May 2014 6:31 AM | by Pat's Picks

    We’ve come a long way from eye glasses. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel details some of the technology being used to fight vision loss. That includes the CentraSight, a tiny telescope implanted into the eyeball that can help patients with age-related macular degeneration.

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  24. The Wizard of Oz Behind Bars

    Thursday, 22 May 2014 8:30 AM | by Pat's Picks

    There’s Dorothy, the Cowardly Lion, the Tin Man and the Scarecrow all on stage. It’s a production of the Wizard of Oz. Except these performers don’t get to go home when the show’s over. The Cincinnati Enquirer details the efforts behind putting this production together at the Ross Correctional Institution. One issue they ran into was the palace guard uniforms looked too much like real prison guard uniforms, so they had to be changed. The production was funded entirely from commissary sales and vending machines in the visiting area.

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  25. Pacers Fan’s Signs Elicit Range of Reactions

    Thursday, 22 May 2014 8:13 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Racist? Sexist? Just silly? An Indiana Pacers fan is generating a lot of controversy for signs he made depicting the Miami Heat’s LeBron James and Dwyane Wade in pink bras and James with a pink bow attached to his headband. The Indianapolis Star says the creator of the signs, 24-year-old Matt Worton says they’re not meant to be racist or sexist. But critics argue that saying someone plays like a girl is unacceptable.

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  26. Never Wash Your Jeans?

    Thursday, 22 May 2014 8:08 AM | by Pat's Picks

    How often should you wash your jeans? The CEO of Levis says, never. Chip Bergh says all you need is to spot clean with a sponge or a toothbrush. Bergh says it’s not just about preserving the look of your jeans, but about being good to the environment. The Daily News says Tommy Hilfiger told the paper he never washes his vintage jeans, but he puts his other jeans in the wash regularly.

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  27. Baby Tech Both Offers Both Comfort & Discomfort

    Thursday, 22 May 2014 7:16 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Technology is taking over the crib. And that’s a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you ask. While pediatricians and others have debated how much television children should be exposed to, new devices like a onesie with built in sensors to monitor the baby, are opening up debate over how much is too much technology.

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  28. Rule Would Require Airlines to Disclose Extra Fees

    Thursday, 22 May 2014 7:01 AM | by Pat's Picks

    A new rule being proposed by the federal Department of Transportation would require airlines to do a better job of disclosing fees for checked bags, carry on items and advanced seat assignments. Airline lobbying groups say the rule is unnecessary and unfair since rental car and hotel industries are not similarly regulated.

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  29. The Most Outdated Computer Technology: The Password

    Thursday, 22 May 2014 6:45 AM | by Pat's Picks

    Why do we still use passwords? It’s a question the Wall Street Journal asks. Despite multiple major data thefts, passwords endure. The idea of using a computer password is actually 50 years old. Yet methods to replace the password, such as iris scanners and USB keys haven’t caught on.

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  30. Collector Prepares to Auction off Holy Grail of Comics

    Wednesday, 21 May 2014 8:25 AM | by Pat's Picks

    A San Diego man is gearing up to auction off his prized comic book collection. The San Diego Union-Tribune says John C. Wise hopes to make enough money to be able to fund his grandchildren’s educations and buy a bigger home. He’s got the comics that launched Batman, Superman, the Flash and many other comic legends. Experts say Wise’s collection could net more than $1 million.

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